Elevated temperature liquid heating systems



May 14, 1963 w. w. BlNGER ETAL ELEVATED TEMPERATURE LIQUID HEATING SYSTEMS Original Filed Nov. 25, 1958 \INSOLUB LE DEPOSITS INVENTORS.

WAYNE W. BINGER DAVID G. VAN DENBURG H ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,089,466 ELEVATED TEMPERATURE LIQUID HEATING SYSTEMS Wayne W. Binger and David G. Vandenburgh, both of New Kensington, Pa., assignors to Aluminum Company of America, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Original application Nov. 25, 1958, Ser. No. 776,317, now Patent No. 3,029,795, dated Apr. 17, 1962. Divided and this application Aug. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 129,083 3 Claims. (Cl. 122-17) This invention relates in general to closed liquid systems operating at elevated temperatures and is more particularly addressed to closed hot water systems and modified construction of the conventional storage vessels or tanks employed in such systems. This application is a division of application Serial No. 776,317, filed November 25, 1958, now Patent No. 3,029,795.

The presence of loose insoluble deposits or residues in the liquid media within closed liquid systems operating at elevated temperatures has been observed to be a source of erratic and objectionable operation of such systems, particularly when the insoluble deposits are permitted to collect and accumulate on the liquid side of under-fired or exteriorly heated bottom end closure crown sheets of the storage tanks, in which case such accumulations have been found to develop rumbling noises Within the systems. Copending application, Serial No. 748,666, filed July 15, 1958, now Patent No. 3,016,885, in the names of David G. Vandenburgh, Wayne W. Binger, and Basil M. Ponchel, is addressed to closed elevated temperature liquid heating systems developed to overcome the aforesaid objectionable and noisy operating conditions.

The loose insoluble deposits in elevated temperature closed liquid systems, and particularly in hot water systems which are contemplated herein, are attributable to many sources, such as precipitation products, organic and inorganic salts and compounds, entrained solids in the liquid supply, and products of corrosion generated from the materials of the tanks, galvanic anodes and the piping employed in such systems.

'It is a primary object of the instant invention to prevent the accumulation of substantial quantities of insoluble residues on the liquid side of under-fired or heated bottom end closure crown sheets of storage tanks in elevated temperature closed liquid heating systems.

Another object of the invention is to provide storage tank structures which incorporate means for arresting and collecting substantial quantities of the insoluble deposits, normally present in the liquid contents of such storage tanks, at some level above and out of contact with the bottom end under-fired crown sheets of the tanks.

Other objects and advantages will be understood to those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains and particularly after consideration of the following description and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional central flue elevated temperature liquid heating system and storage tank, in sectional elevation, modified in accordance with the practice of the invention; and

FIG. 2 illustrates a transverse sectional view taken on the plane 2-2 of FIG. 1.

A conventional hot water heating system incorporating a holding or storage tank has been selected for purposes of illustrating the invention, which basically comprises the provision of means within a liquid storage tank, preferably located slightly above the bottom end closure thereof, for arresting and collecting the insoluble residues or deposits, normally present in liquid media, and

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particularly in most water sources, to thereby prevent any substantial accumulation of the deposits on the liquid side of the under-fired bottom end crown sheet of the storage tank.

Referring to the attached drawing, a conventional hot water storage tank is illustrated as comprising a cylindrical metal body section '10, a top end closure plate or crown sheet 12 and a bottom end closure plate 01 crown sheet 14. The elements 10, 12 and 14 are preferably constructed from a metal or metal alloy and may be treated on the interior surface of the tank to improve its corrosion resistance against water or other liquid media stored therein.

The storage tank 10 is provided with a central fine 36 for conducting the hot gases and products of combustion, generated by a multi-port ring or annulus burner 22 disposed below the bottom crown sheet 14', upwardly therethrough and eventually discharging the same through a stack (not shown) to atmosphere. The burner 22 is usually provided with a plurality of fuel jets directed against an appreciable exposed area of the bottom crown sheet 14, any suitable fuel, such as gas, oil or mixtures thereof being supplied to the burner under suitable pressure through a manifold 24. Manifestly other forms of burner structure and fuel, including electrical heating means, may be employed if desired.

[The system selected for purposes of illustrating the invention further includes two or more semi-circular shelves 40, horizontally disposed, but preferably inclined slightly above the horizontal, with over-lapped unsupported edges, which edges are cut away or otherwise formed at 38 to provide an oversize central clearance passage for the central flue 36 therethrough. The lowermost shelf 40 is preferably positioned slightly above the liquid contacting interior surface of the bottom end closure crown sheet 14 and the shelves serve to collect insoluble residues, deposits or products entrained within the liquid media of the system and prevent any substantial accumulation of the same in contact with the liquid side of the bottom end closure crown sheet 14. Also, conventional cold inlet and hot outlet water or other liquid media conduits or pipes 32 and 34, respectively, are provided in the elevated temperature closed liquid heating and storage system of the invention. The cold water or liquid media inlet conduit or pipe 32 preferably extends below the hot Water or liquid media outlet conduit or pipe 34, with the discharge end 33 of the conduit 32 preferably terminating above the level of and overlying the inwardly projecting area of a shelf 40'. Periodic flushing of the system to remove excessive accumulations of insoluble deposits from the shelves 40 is preferably obtained by using the drainage cook 42.

The provision of the inwardly projecting shelves 40 minimize, and in some instances substantially eliminate the accumulation of insoluble deposits in contact with the liquid side of the bottom end closure crown sheet 14, which accumulations, as previously stated, have been found to be responsible for the rumbling noises in the operation of systems of the type hereinabove described.

Since the insoluble deposits or residues entrained within the liquid media in the storage tank 10 can include prodnets of corrosion generated on the interior wall of the storage tank, and because of the natural phenomenon of thermal convection currents rising upwardly within the central area of the tank through the clearance openings 38 surrounding the central flue 36 and downwardly along the inner surface of the wall of the storage tank, the location and disposition of the shelves 40, in contact with the interior surface of the storage tank, insures maximum accumulation and collection of the insolubles entrained within the system, whether they be corrosion products generated within the storage tank or enter the system through the inlet conduit 32.

The shelves 40 are preferably imperforate and made from materials compatible with the tank body, as well as being capable of withstanding the temperatures of operation of the system contemplated and disclosed hereinabove.

Having selected a specific embodiment of the invention for purposes of illustrating the same, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited in any way, except as defined in the following appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an elevated temperature closed hot water heating and storage system, a storage tank having an exteriorly heated bottom end crown sheet in interior surface contact with water containing entrained insoluble products, means for collecting the insoluble products comprising at least two shelves extending inwardly from contact with the interior wall surface of the storage tank from opposite sides thereof in vertical spaced substantially horizontal relationship in respect of the vertical axis of the storage tank, said shelves being disposed adjacent and spaced above the water contacting surface of the bottom end crown sheet, and said shelves in their inward extension being each less than the full width of the storage tank and presenting unsupported inwardly disposed spaced overlying marginal shelf edges.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the inwardly extending shelves are tilted slightly upwardly in respect of a transverse horizontal plane parallel to the bottom end crown sheet.

3. In an elevated temperature liquid heating and storage system having a storage tank with a bottom underfired crown sheet interiorly in contact with liquid media containing entrained insoluble products, and characterized by developing rumbling noises in the intended use of the system through accumulation of the insoluble products on the liquid contacting side of the bottom underfired crown sheet, the improvement comprising, means within the storage tank for collecting the entrained insoluble products above the liquid contacting surface of the bottom crown sheet, said collecting means comprising at least two shelves extending inwardly from contact with the interior wall surface of the storage tank from opposite sides thereof in vertical spaced relationship in respect to the vertical axis of the storage tank, said shelves being disposed adjacent and spaced above the liquid contacting surface of the bottom crown sheet, said shelves in their inward extension being each less than the full width of the storage tank and presenting unsupported inwardly disposed spaced overlying marginal shelf edges, and one of said shelves presenting an inwardly extending area below and underlying an outlet supplying liquid media to the storage tank.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE CLOSED HOT WATER HEATING AND STORAGE SYSTEM, A STORAGE TANK HAVING AN EXTERIORLY HEATED BOTTOM END CROWN SHEET IN INTERIOR SURFACE CONTACT WITH WATER CONTAINING ENTRAINED INSOLUBLE PRODUCTS, MEANS FOR COLLECTING THE INSOLUBLE PRODUCTS COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO SHELVES EXTENDING INWARDLY FROM CONTACT WITH THE INTERIOR WALL SURFACE OF THE STORAGE TANK FROM OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF IN VERTICAL SPCED SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL RELTIONSHIP IN RESPECT OF THE VERTICAL AXIS OF THE STORAGE TANK, SAID SHELVES BEING DISPOSED ADJACENT AND SPACED ABOVE THE WATER CONTACTING SURFACE OF THE BOTTOM END CROWN SHEET, AND SAID SHELVES IN THEIR INWARD EXTENSION BEING EACH LESS THAN THE FULL WIDTH OF 